Easy Vegan Apple Pancakes w/ Walnut Bacon Crumbles
Servings: 3 people
Ingredients
Maple-Bacon Walnut Crumbles
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar*
- 4 teaspoons soy sauce (tamari)
- 1 cup walnuts
Spiced Apple Slices
- 1 cup apples, peeled, sliced
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or use brown sugar)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- pinch salt
Pancake Batter
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup plant-based milk (soy, almond or oat)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (apple cider vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- butter and maple syrup for topping
Instructions
Maple-Bacon Walnut Crumbles
- Stir the marinate ingredients together in a small bowl. Add walnuts and stir to coat.Tip the walnuts and marinate into a small skillet over medium heat. Stir until the walnuts are coated. Continue to stir and cook until everything thickens and gets sticky and crispy. Spread the nuts out on a cutting board to cool. Once cool, rough chop.
Spiced Apple Slices
- Peel, core, and slice one apple* (¼" thick). Toss sliced apples with maple syrup and spices in small bowl. Cook over medium heat in the same skillet you will use for the pancakes. Continue cooking and stirring until the apples have softened and are coated. Remove from heat, place back in the bowl. Rinse out pan.*I've used Honeycrisp and Granny Smith and both were slightly tart and delicious. Use any apple you have on hand.
Vegan Pancake Batter
- In a large liquid measuring cup or bowl, mix together the milk and lemon juice - let it curdle for 5 minutes (this is your vegan buttermilk). Then stir in the vanilla and maple syrup.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together until just combined (don't over mix - there will be a few lumps). Let the batter sit for a minute or two so the baking powder has time to activate.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. For each pancake, place 2-3 apple slices next to each other in the pan. Pour ¼ cup pancake batter over each pile of apples. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake (1 - 2 minutes) and the edges start to look cooked. Flip the pancake and cook until golden on the other side. Repeat with remaining apples and batter.PRO TIP: I used a long (double burner) griddle and was able to cook 4 pancakes at a time.
How to Serve
- Serve with butter, maple syrup, bacon walnut crumbles, and any leftover spiced apple slices or your favorite fruit (banana slices and raspberries are delicious).
Notes
Maple-Bacon Crumbles - Make ahead of time and store in the fridge in an air-tight container for a couple weeks.
Apples - I've used Honeycrisp and Granny Smith and both were slightly tart and delicious. Use any apple you have on hand.
Apples - Serve the warm, spiced apples on the side as a topping if desired.
Pancakes - The cooked pancakes store well in the fridge for a few days or you can freeze the leftovers. To reheat, pop the pancakes into a warm skillet or microwave.